Say NO to THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ACT via Congressman Tim Murphy

The proposed legislation by Congressman Tim Murphy via the Mental Health Crisis Act further stigmatizes people with mental illness; it takes the tragedy in Newtown Ct and uses it to scapegoat mental illness and gun violence. The State of Ct, Division of Criminal Justice came out with their official investigative report, which stated that

"In this case the shooter’s mental status is no defense to his conduct as the evidence shows he knew his conduct to be against the law. He had the ability to control his behavior to obtain the results he wanted, including his own death. This evidence includes his possession of materials related to mass murders, his removal of the GPS from his car, his utilization of ear plugs, the damaging of the hard drive and waiting for his mother’s return from New Hampshire.69

69 Sec.

The existence of an extreme emotional disturbance for which there is a reasonable explanation or excuse is also not present in this case.70 It is clear that the shooter planned his crimes in advance and was under no extreme emotional disturbance for which there was a reasonable explanation or excuse. "

Congressman Murphy in his proposed legislation violates the Health Care Portability Act by asking other members to waive the privacy of people with mental illness for members of their family and personal representatives to access their mental health records and for doctors to give information to them, without the patients consent. In this proposed legislation he is asking for the Department of Justice to track crimes committed by people with serious mental illness, he is also proposing that the one thing that protects people from mental illness from excessive abuse, which is not being able to be committed without being a harm to themselves or others, he’s proposing for that to be lifted and for police or other mental health professionals to be able to commit someone because their showing signs of a mental illness.

If we allow people with mental illness civil liberties to be taken because of a scapegoated legislation being proposed, this will not only further the stigma, but lead to excessive abuse towards people with mental illness by health care providers, law enforcement and psychiatrists. It will lead to a rise in suicides because people with mental illness will not seek help in fear of being hospitalized, people will fear that their information will be shared without their consent and the stigma will get worse. There are no checks and balances to this legislation and we the people are asking for you to vote NO!